


my head hurts

by transperalta



Series: moreid ramblings [1]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Fluff, Headaches & Migraines, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, M/M, Soulmates, Theyre gay, they are soulmates and no one can convince me otherwise, you cant tell me this didnt happen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:13:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27464737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/transperalta/pseuds/transperalta
Summary: did you know, it's been proven that the physical touch of someone you love can ease your pain?derek morgan can ease dr spencer reid's pain.
Relationships: Derek Morgan/Spencer Reid
Series: moreid ramblings [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2069088
Comments: 20
Kudos: 262





	my head hurts

**Author's Note:**

> hello !! this is my first criminal minds fic, so pls be nice :)  
> they're literally soulmates, don't touch me

when spencer reid woke up that morning, he had a headache.

and not just one treatable by a chilled glass of water and half a paracetamol. trust me, they had been his first port of call, and after fifteen minutes it had become apparent that today was not going to go his way. 

he even left early, wrapped up in comforting layers to combat the harsh nip of the wind, autumn approaching all too fast for his liking. usually, he would welcome the season, embracing the changing of the leaves to a beautiful bronze colour which left him in awe year after year. 

the flowing nature of the seasons regularly brought him a sense of contentment. that time moved forwards, despite anything in his life that may attempt to convince him otherwise. that the world continued to turn, and wildlife stuck to its evolutionary patterns, and life kept on. 

today, however, he found himself pleading with mother nature, begging for her to hold back just for the moment. the very same frost he traditionally found comfort in seemed to turn on him, chilling him to his bones and finding his weakest points, targeting him even under the shirt and the sweater vest and the jacket and- 

he felt exposed. vulnerable. this was not the autumn he adored.

so he sought shelter, in the form of his favourite coffee shop. on his first day at the bau, very special agent derek morgan had taken him out on their lunch break, insisting that this one cafe around the corner was an absolute godsend when he was overwhelmed. spencer didn't know how this complete stranger had managed to figure him out so quickly, to read his emotions as if he didn't desperately try to conceal them. because yes, he was overwhelmed. unsurprisingly, as who could be perfectly okay on their first day as an fbi agent. 

that day, he learned a lot about his new teammate in a considerably short period of time. 

for example, he's very physical. he practically pulled reid out of his chair as soon as he finished writing, and slung his arm around the younger boy's shoulder as they started towards the elevator. 

he's also exceptionally bouncy, and while he sauntered along the city streets, he seemed to ooze life into everything and everyone around him. his hand gripped around spencer's wrist as he led him through the crowds; an action that could have been perceived as the fear of losing the new agent among the people, and yet reid thought something more of it. he couldn't exactly pinpoint what. the thought stayed with him, in the back of his mind, for the rest of the day. as did the feeling of derek's gentle but firm grip.

in the present day, he found himself rubbing his wrist absentmindedly. although he had felt that same touch countless times in the years that they'd known each other since, he couldn't help thinking back to that first windy afternoon. they'd stepped inside, finding refuge in the coffeehouse, and time seemed to stop. derek had turned back to him, an excitable look in his eyes; one you'd recognise more easily in a toddler, eager to show you their favourite book. without saying a word, he had raised his free arm, using two delicate fingers to tenderly move a strand of spencer's hair from his face. he took a moment, perhaps scanning reid's face to observe any type of reaction, or perhaps to simply look. communicate. 

and then it was over. 

currently, the barista was asking for his order. the crowds which had once situated the streets were no longer there, the early hours of the morning combined with the unpleasant weather clearly deterring even the most loyal of customers. he asked for their biggest cup of their sweetest drink, and urged his frigid, slender fingers into his pocket, sliding out his wallet. small talk was exchanged as he handed over a couple of dollars, before the store returned to its dulcet silence. golden sunlight streamed in through the windows, creating idle patterns on the wooden floor. he watched them dance and dissipate. 

before he knew it, he was at the office. empty coffee cup in hand, with the exception of a small sip at the bottom. somewhere in his walk, he had obviously decided to give up on the drink, choosing instead to focus on the city waking up. catching up with the rest of the world. 

he sat the cup down on his desk. it found its place next to a framed photo; taken the day derek and reid had first met. the overeager agent had convinced a stranger to take a picture of the two, against the bustling city backdrop, and as spencer had gone to retrieve the camera, the man had commented on "just how adorable" the pair were together. 

"clearly, you've found your soulmate".

derek had, presumably, heard none of this, as he rushed over and dragged reid away, desperate to see the memory they had just made. 

a small digital clock sat across from the photo. it read "06:52".

too early. 

just as his slim fingers wrapped around the base of the cup, preparing to put the rest to waste, a warm hand set itself around his. 

"jeez, pretty boy! you got frostbite or something?"

before he could even look up, or respond in any way, he found his hands engulfed in the older man's, the warmth of his skin almost scalding against his own. he hadn't realised how cold it was. he must have blocked it out. maybe the pain meds were finally kicking in. 

although, clearly in the wrong places. his head still throbbed, seemingly getting worse as the morning progressed, and he flinched slightly when a particularly sharp pain hit him. 

the man in front of him temporarily removed one of his hands from reid's, causing him to whimper involuntarily at the loss of contact. thankfully, there wasn't enough time for him to complain, as the touch was fulfilled once again, this time the man sitting down in front of him.

when he looked up, he saw those same eyes. the stunning, deep eyes he had stared into all those years ago on his first day. after a moment he averted his gaze, just in case his eyes gave him away.

"hey, spence. look at me."

and then again, the contact was lost, the cold air of the office cooling his hands. instead, he felt a soft hand lift his chin, fingers brushing against his jawline as their eyes met. 

"you okay?"

he simply nodded, trying his hardest to revel in the touch, the warmth, the sheer emotion and fire it created in his heart. he wanted so badly to commit this feeling to memory. 

"c'mon pretty boy, you should know by now that i can see right through you. what's up?"

even after all these years, all the heart-to-hearts, he was still hesitant to admit his weaknesses. how was he supposed to explain that sometimes his body just decided to hate him for no apparent reason?

he did what he was best at. although he didn't exactly think it through, and his words slipped straight from his heart to his mouth, out into the open. 

"did you know it's been proven that holding hands with the person you love relieves physical pain?" 

now that he'd started, he couldn't stop. there was no point in turning back. he couldn't bring himself to watch the other's reaction as he rambled on. 

"studies have shown that people with deep emotional connections have the ability to soothe each other by just holding hands, and it can even go as far as easing physical pain, despite there being no medicinal reasons for it. in fact, simple physical conta-"

he halted his freefall of a speech when he felt a thumb begin to rub stabilising circles on the back of his left hand. he could have mustered up the courage to look him in the eyes again, but he was robbed of the chance as he was pulled into an understanding embrace. 

"derek-" he started. 

"shh. i know, kid. i know."

a large, comforting hand settled itself onto the back of spencer's neck, the hot touch burning up his skin and reaching his heart. it stayed there for ten minutes or so, just providing a loving support as the boy rested his head on derek's shoulder. 

he could have remained like that forever. in fact, if it was up to spencer, he would have chosen to in a heartbeat. he was only disturbed by a gentle, low whisper in his ear.

"does my pretty boy feel any better yet?"

something about that. being his pretty boy, no one else's. the heat rose to his cheeks as he buried his face further into derek's neck in a failed attempt to conceal how flustered his words made him. 

he heard a soft chuckle rumble from the other man's chest as he pulled him closer.

they stayed like that until the elevator signalled to them that their coworkers were beginning to trickle in. 

it may not have been forever, but it was enough. 

enough for dr spencer reid to remember it. 

his headache eased.


End file.
